Packaging box having an improved opening

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a packaging box, including a lower portion, an upper portion forming a cover, a strip, and a thread. Said box is particularly usable for containing wrapped portions of melted cheese. The lower portion and upper portion each include a base and a side portion. The strip is elongate in a longitudinal direction and is connected to both side portions so as to ensure that the box is tamper-proof before first opening it. The thread is sandwiched between the strip and at least one of the lower or upper portions and is moreover arranged such that one end of the thread can be pulled toward the outside of the box. The strip comprises a weakness line that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction and is arranged so as to be broken by biasing the thread toward the outside of the box.

The present invention relates to a packaging box, including:

-   -   a lower portion and an upper portion forming a cover, said lower         and upper portions each including a bottom and a side portion;     -   a strip, elongated in a longitudinal direction, connected to the         two side portions so as to ensure that the box is tamper proof         before its first opening, and comprising a large outer surface         serving to bear a decoration; and     -   a thread, sandwiched between the strip on the one hand and at         least one of the lower and upper portions on the other hand,         arranged so that one end of the thread can be pulled toward the         outside of the box.

Such a box is for example intended to store packaged portions of melted cheese.

In the rest of the description, the term “melted cheese” will refer both to traditional melted cheeses obtained by melting cheese with or without melting salts, and melted specialties obtained by melting any raw material that may or may not be of dairy origin with or without the presence of emulsifying salts or any other additive used to obtain those products.

Melted cheeses are presented for consumption in different forms, but one of the oldest and most used consists of triangular, parallelepiped, or cylindrical portions. These portions are usually packaged separately in aluminum and grouped together in cylindrical or parallelepiped boxes. Traditionally, these boxes are made up of a cover and a bottom made from hot pressed flat cardboard. The cover is maintained on the bottom by an inner skirt made up of a flat strip of cardboard that is closed and made integral with the bottom by adhesion.

The skirt is glued to the bottom.

In the closed position, the cover is adjusted on the outer portion of the skirt. The cap area must be large enough and must represent at least half of the distance between the flat walls of the bottom and the cover.

In this type of boxes, the tamper proof feature is ensured by a strip of paper glued on the cylindrical portion of the box, this strip advantageously serving as decoration. The opening is advantageously, but not necessary ensured by a thread positioned under the strip at the junction of the cover and the bottom.

The opening system is not without drawbacks. In fact, the industrial rhythms for placement of the thread often lead to a nonlinear positioning thereof and, as a result, many difficulties during the opening operation: difficulties in locating the end of the thread serving as a gripping member, tearing or pulling the strip at the time of opening, and subsequent partial disappearance of the decoration therefrom.

Furthermore, after opening, the side decoration of the box is destroyed, becomes illegible and, when the box is closed, is not well-positioned to ensure the continuity of the latter.

In order to resolve the drawbacks of the thread, it has been considered to use other systems, such as for example:

-   -   two parallel precuts running along a strip and delimiting a tear         strip along the latter, which facilitates opening by eliminating         the strip. Although this system proves more effective than the         simple thread, it creates a clean tear strip that has the major         drawback of causing a break in the side decoration of the box.     -   a tear strip made up of a self-adhesive strip bearing the         decoration, glued on the skirt; at the time of opening, it         suffices to unglue the strip to ensure opening of the box with         the major drawback that the side decoration of the box is         completely eliminated.     -   a thread running along the tear strip ending with a gripping         loop; although this system improves the presentation of the         thread, it has the same flaws as the single thread system.

These systems are not adapted for the functions deemed essential to optimized opening of the box:

-   -   ease, cleanness of opening of the box,     -   tamper proof nature of the box before the first opening,     -   continuity of the decoration before and after first opening and         during opening-closing cycles of the box.

To perform these different functions, FR 2 677 336 proposes a packaging box having a lower portion and an upper portion forming a cover, said lower and upper portions each including a side portion serving as a support for a decorative portion of the box, and an opening member of the box. The opening member is formed by a strippable plastic strip, provided with a gripping tab, detachably adhering to the two portions of the decoration of the box.

Such a box generates a significant quantity of waste upon opening (strippable band). This waste is plastic, i.e. a non-biodegradable material. These two aspects are flaws in a context where greater attention is being paid to respect for the environment.

One aim of the invention is therefore to obtain a packaging box with a better appearance than that of boxes opened by thread, and which are more ecological than the box described in FR 2 677 336.

To that end, the invention relates to a packaging box of the aforementioned type, characterized in that the strip comprises a single weakness line that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction and is arranged so as to be broken by biasing the thread toward the outside of the box such that the decoration present on the outer surface of the strip remains intact.

The packaging box according to the invention may include one or more of the following features, considered alone or according to all technically possible combinations:

-   -   the weakness line includes alternating attachment points and         perforations;     -   the perforations are through perforations;     -   each perforation has a width comprised between 0.05 and 0.5 mm,         advantageously between 0.05 and 0.15 mm, each perforation has a         length comprised between 0.2 and 1 mm, advantageously between         0.5 and 0.8 mm, and two consecutive perforations are spaced         apart by an interval comprised between 0.1 and 1 mm,         advantageously between 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm;     -   the weakness line is situated substantially along the lower edge         of the upper portion of the box;     -   the thread is placed substantially along the weakness line;     -   the strip has an inner surface in contact with the side portions         that is coated with an adhesive;     -   the inner surface of the strip is coated with an anti-adhesive         repellent varnish at the precut, over an area situated on either         side of the weakness line and including the weakness line;     -   the strip is made from paper;     -   the paper of the strip primarily comprises fibers with a length         shorter than 2 mm.

The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, provided solely as an example, and done in reference to the appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a packaging box according to the invention, before opening;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the packaging box according to the invention, during opening;

FIG. 3 is a view of the outer surface of the strip;

FIG. 4 is a view of the inner surface of the strip; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the strip, along the weakness line.

A packaging device 10 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

This packaging box 10 is particularly intended to store packaged portions of melted cheese. It could also be intended for individual portions of other types of cheese, or food products other than cheeses. It could also be used to package whole cheeses, not divided into portions.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the packaging box 10 comprises a lower portion 12, an upper portion forming a cover 14, a strip 16 and a thread 18.

The lower and upper portions each comprise a bottom 20 a and 20 b, respectively, and a side portion 22 a and 22 b, respectively, secured to the bottom 20 a or 20 b and formed by a cardboard tube segment.

The lower portion also comprises a second tube segment, not shown, with a diameter slightly smaller than that forming the side portion 22 a, and a substantially larger height, glued against it, so as to allow the upper portion 14 to fit onto the lower portion 12.

The side portion 22 b comprises a lower edge 25. This lower edge 25 constitutes the lower edge of the cover 14.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower edge 25 can be in contact with the side portion 22 a. However, preferably, the side portions 22 a and 22 b will be separated by 3 to 30 mm along the height of the box.

FIGS. 3 to 5 show the strip 16 of the packaging box according to the invention. The strip 16 ensures that the box 10 is tamper proof before the first time it is opened.

In order to allow good recyclability of the elements of the box 10, the strip 16 is advantageously made from paper. It does not comprise a layer of plastic. This paper advantageously includes a majority of short fibers with a length smaller than 2 mm, preferably smaller than 1.3 mm. Its grammage is advantageously comprised between 60 and 85 g. It is preferably a coated paper comprising a layer of fine pigments and adhesives on at least one surface. This paper is for example of the Sinarlux CCP type produced by the company Asia Pulp Paper.

The strip 16 is elongate in a longitudinal direction. It comprises a large inner surface 30, a large outer surface 32, a lower longitudinal edge 34 and an upper longitudinal edge 36. It also has a single weakness line 38 that extends substantially longitudinally and delimits a lower portion 39 a and an upper portion 39 b of the strip 16.

The strip 16 has a transverse height substantially smaller than or equal to the total height of the side portions 22 a and 22 b plus, if applicable, the height of the interval separating the portions 22 a and 22 b.

The weakness line 38 is placed on the strip 16 at a height such that, when the inner surface 30 and the edges 34 and 36 of the strip 16 are in contact with the side portions 22 a and 22 b, the weakness line 38 coincides with the interval between the side portions 22 a and 22 b or, if said portions are joined, the weakness line 38 coincides with the lower edge 25 of the cover 14. The weakness line 38 is preferably slightly downwardly offset relative to the lower edge 25, or extends along the lower edge 25. It may otherwise be slightly upwardly offset relative to the lower edge 25, although this is not a preferred embodiment of the invention.

The weakness line 38 typically includes alternating attachment points 40 and perforations 42.

These perforations 42 are preferably through perforations and emerge in the inner surface 30 and the outer surface 32, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Each has a transverse width comprised between 0.05 mm and 0.5 mm, advantageously between 0.05 mm and 0.15 mm, and a longitudinal length comprised between 0.2 mm and 1 mm, advantageously between 0.5 mm and 0.8 mm, still more advantageously between 0.6 mm and 0.7 mm. Two consecutive perforations 42 are spaced apart by a longitudinal interval comprised between 0.1 mm and 1 mm, advantageously between 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm, still more advantageously between 0.3 and 0.4 mm.

Each attachment point 40 is made up of a bridge of material included between two consecutive perforations 42 and connecting the lower 39 a and upper 39 b portions of the strip 16.

The outer surface 32 advantageously serves as a support for a portion of the decoration of the box 45. It is for example printed and bears a layer of ink.

The inner surface 30 is coated with a repellant varnish 50 at the weakness line 38, over an area 52 extending on either side of the latter part and including the weakness line 38. The area 52 extends transversely over a width comprised between 4 and 10 mm, on either side of the weakness line.

An adhesive 55 coats the entire inner surface 30. This adhesive 55 is advantageously a glue.

At the area 52, the adhesive 55 is deposited above the varnish 50. The repellent varnish 50 thus prevents the adhesive 55 from obstructing the perforations 42.

According to one alternative of the product according to the invention, the adhesive 55 may only code the rest of the inner surface 30 that is not coated with repellent varnish 50. It may also be applied on the outside of the side portions 22 a and 22 b.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the strip 16 is glued against the side portions 22 a and 22 b such that the edges 34 and 36 are flush with or close to the bottoms 20 a and 20 b.

The thread 18 is made of polyester and cotton, preferably with a majority of polyester. It is placed coinciding with the weakness line 38, along the inner surface 30 of the strip 16. It may be slightly transversely offset upward or downward. It preferably extends either along the lower edge 25 of the cover 14, or in the interval between the portions 22 a and 22 b when the latter are not joined. It is sandwiched between the strip 16 on the one hand and at least one of the lower 12 and upper 14 portions of the box on the other hand.

The strip 16 makes at least 100%, and preferably 110%, of a revolution around the box, possibly with an area where its two longitudinal ends overlap. The thread 18 also makes at least 100% of a revolution around the box and may be longer than the strip 16, such that one end 60 of the thread protrudes outside, according to FIG. 1.

To assemble the packaging box 10, the perforations 42 are first formed in the strip 16 along the weakness line 38. The inner surface 30 of the strip 16 is then coated with a repellent varnish at the area 52. Lastly, the entire inner surface 30 is coated with adhesive 55 and the thread 18 is positioned on the inner surface 30 along the weakness line 38. The thread 18 adheres by contact to the strip 16 by means of the adhesive 55.

When the box 10 formed by the lower portion 12 of the cover 14 is closed after filling, the strip 16 provided with the thread 18 is glued, for example using an industrial machine, on the outer surface of the side portions 22 a and 22 b such that the edges 34 and 36 are joined or slightly offset relative to the bottoms 20 a and 20 b and the end 60 of the thread 18 is easily accessible.

The weakness line 38 has sufficient strength to allow manipulation of the box 10 before the first time it is opened without any risk of separating the lower 12 and upper 14 portions.

When the user pulls the end 60 of the thread toward the outside of the box—the user for example pulls the thread 18 in a direction perpendicular to the strip 16, or slightly inclined relative to the perpendicular direction—the thread 18 shears the attachment points 40 of the weakness line 38. The attachment points 40 being short and the fibers of the paper making up the strip 16 being short, there is very little delamination, such that the decoration present on the outer surface 32 remains intact. Furthermore, the force exerted on the thread 18 to allow the shearing of the attachment points 40 thus remains below the adhesion force adhering the thread 18 to the strip 16, which makes it possible to avoid impromptu ungluing of the thread 18.

When all of the attachment points 40 have been broken, the lower 12 and upper 14 portions are separated. The user then need only separate the cover 14 from the lower portion 12 to open the box and discover, for example, individually packaged portions of melted cheese.

When the box closed again, one need only correctly position the cover 14 on the lower portion 12 so as to reconstitute the decoration, the latter having remained intact due to the cleanness of the opening system.

The packaging box according to the invention will therefore be tamper-proof, owing to the strip before opening, but will remain attractive after successive openings and closings, one of the major advantages being the maintenance of the entire decoration all throughout the opening-closing cycles of the box.

It will also have an ecological and economical aspect, owing to the use of paper as component material of the closing strip of the box, the only waste resulting from opening the box being the thread 18.

Its strip 16 will also have greater impression rendering than a traditional paper strip owing for example to the use of coated paper of the Sinarlux CCP type produced by the company Asia Pulp Paper. The quality of the printing output will be similar to that obtained with the plastic strip of FR 2 677 336.

Lastly, the packaging box according to the invention has the advantage of being able to be produced on the same machines as those producing packaging boxes with standard threads.

The packaging box illustrated here has a circular section, but the invention may not be reduced only to this type of box and may also be considered for other types of box, for example having a rectangular section or any other shape.

According to certain possible alternatives of the product according to the invention, the weakness line 38 may be made up of perforations that are not through perforations rather than through perforations, or maybe made up of a continuous groove. It is not necessarily rectilinear and may comprise portions with a different height, form a corrugated border, or assume any shape that seems appropriate.

The end 60 of the thread 18 may also be secured to a gripping tab. This gripping tab may partially adhere to the outer surface 32 of the strip 16. 

1. A packaging box, in particular for packaged portions of melted cheese, including: a lower portion and an upper portion forming a cover, said lower and upper portions each including a bottom and a side portion; a strip, elongated in a longitudinal direction, connected to the two side portions so as to ensure that the box is tamper proof before its first opening, and comprising a large outer surface serving to bear a decoration; and a thread, sandwiched between the strip on the one hand and at least one of the lower and upper portions on the other hand, arranged so that one end of the thread can be pulled toward the outside of the box, wherein the strip comprises a single weakness line that extends substantially in the longitudinal direction and is arranged so as to be broken by biasing the thread toward the outside of the box such that the decoration present on the outer surface of the strip remains intact.
 2. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the weakness line includes alternating attachment points and perforations.
 3. The packaging box according to claim 2, wherein the perforations are through perforations.
 4. The packaging box according to claim 2, wherein each perforation has a width comprised between 0.05 and 0.5 mm, advantageously between 0.05 and 0.15 mm, each perforation has a length comprised between 0.2 and 1 mm, advantageously between 0.5 and 0.8 mm, and two consecutive perforations are spaced apart by an interval comprised between 0.1 and 1 mm, advantageously between 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm.
 5. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the weakness line is situated substantially along the lower edge of the upper portion of the box.
 6. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the thread is placed substantially along the weakness line.
 7. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the strip has an inner surface in contact with the side portions that is coated with an adhesive.
 8. The packaging box according to claim 7, wherein the inner surface of the strip is coated with an antiadhesive repellent varnish at the precut, over an area situated on either side of the weakness line and including the weakness line.
 9. The packaging box according to claim 1, wherein the strip is made from paper.
 10. The packaging box according to claim 9, wherein the paper of the strip primarily comprises fibers with a length shorter than 2 mm. 